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Deadly Force: News and Publications

On May 18th, 2014, two Madison, Wisconsin police officers responded to a domestic disturbance report, at which the officers shot and killed Ashley DiPiazza, 26, who was threatening her own life with a handgun. An internal departmental review determined that the police did not violate departmental policy.

But a federal jury did not agree that the shooting was appropriate, and awarded DiPiazza's family $4 million in compensatory damages as well as $1.5 million in punitive damages against each officer.

On May 22nd, 2017, the City Council of Arlington, Texas approved a settlement in the amount of $850,000 to the family of Christian Taylor, who was 19 in 2015 when he was shot and killed by a police officer investigating a vehicular burglary. A lawsuit was not filed, and Taylor's family worked with the city to negotiate a settlement for the shooting.

In May 2017, the family of a Huntley, Montana man killed by two Yellowstone County Sheriff's deputies agreed to a settlement of $1.25 million. The victim, Loren Simpson, was 28 in 2015 when former deputies Jason Robinson and Christopher Rudolph responded to a reported burglary. The deputies fired at least 24 shots at Simpson, although, according to a U.S. District Court judge, there was no proof Simpson had committed any crime.

On May 5th, 2015, Brandon Glenn, 29, was standing on the sidewalk in California's Venice Beach when Los Angeles Police Department officers notified him he was under arrest with no apparent justification. While other officers proceeded to restrain Glenn, and without giving any warning or commands beforehand, Officer Clifford Proctor then shot Glenn twice in the back, killing him.

On Monday, December 19th 2016, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu spoke during a Xavier University press conference convened to announce settlements in connection with several Department incidents of misconduct circa 2005's Hurricane Katrina. Speaking on behalf of the city, which has agreed to pay $13.3M to 17 different plaintiffs, four of whom were killed by New Orleans Police Department officers, Mayor Landrieu publicly apologized to the families of the victims.

On December 6th, 2016, Boone County, Kentucky agreed to pay $3.5 million and implement new police department policies in settlement of a civil lawsuit brought by the family of Samantha Ramsey, who was shot and killed by a Boone County officer in 2014.

"The plenary power that the political branches of government exercise over the admission and exclusion of noncitizens does not compel a different conclusion. In the first place, this case does not involve the admission or exclusion of noncitizens. It involves an excessive force claim. In any event, where constitutional rights do exist notwithstanding plenary power—as here, for the reasons set forth in Petitioners’ brief, see Br. 14-27—then the Court should recognize a cause of action that allows a remedy for violation of those rights.... Recognizing a Bivens cause of action in this context will not lead to a deluge of new claims. To the contrary, numerous Courts of Appeals have long recognized the availability of a Bivens cause of action in the border patrol and immigration enforcement context, and lower courts have not been inundated with litigation as a consequence of this recognition. Nor is there any evidence that legitimate immigration enforcement interests have been unduly constrained as a result. Accordingly, this Court should permit a Bivens cause of action in this case."

On December 5th, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services published its report, The State of Policing in the United States, Volume 1, at a White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs briefing in Massachusetts.

"One of the recommendations of the Final Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing was the delivery of an annual report on the state of American policing, which would provide an updated overview of events and changes in policies and practices, as well as their impact on police officers and the public. This inaugural report reviews law enforcement activities and developments from January 2015 to March 2016 and offers research and other resources for more in-depth analysis. Divided into three sections, the first part identifies the many ways in which the field was tested, including topics such as excessive use of force. The second section discusses community policing approaches and other strategies that police used to engage their communities and enhance public safety. The third section examines the impact of events and policies on law enforcement officers and their work."

On November 4th, 2016, a federal jury awarded $3 million to the family of Jason Moore, who died at 31 in 2011 after being Tased four times by a Ferguson, Missouri police officer while naked and unarmed.

The jurors found that former Ferguson Officer Brian Kaminski used excessive force on Moore, as well as failing to properly monitor, discipline and supervise his fellow officers. During his encounter with Moore, Kaminski fired his Taser four times, three of which after Moore had already fallen to the ground and without providing time for him to respond to Kaminski's commands.